Opportunities to help patients and learn new technologies have IT pros hooked at the No. 70-ranked organization on our 2013 Best Places to Work in IT list.

Johns Hopkins Medicine, as John Hopkins University's medical school and healthcare system are collectively known, offers IT pros a chance to work on exciting projects with new technologies. That, and the knowledge that their work can make a huge difference in the lives of patients, adds up to a great experience for technologists of all stripes.

The Johns Hopkins Hospital represents just part of the broad scope of IT at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Credit: Johns Hopkins Medicine.

"I've never met a group of people who take more pride in the services they provide," says Liz Pessagno, technical project administrator, who is helping roll out a new electronic patient record system throughout the Baltimore-based healthcare system. "All hands go on deck if there's a problem somewhere, and we really help each other out."

Dawn Parker Hayes, a senior software engineer, is also a huge fan of the workplace. "I've been able to start at the bottom and learn new things," says the 20-year Johns Hopkins veteran, who's now handling identity management for both the university and the hospital.

One reason there are so many opportunities is that the organization works with few outside contractors -- only 25 last year -- and no outsourcers, with no plans to change that approach this year. That means "you don't need to leave to find new things to do," says Parker Hayes.